Energy Consumption of Young Military Working Dogs in Pre-Training in Germany

Many factors have specific effects, in varying degrees of intensity, on the metabolic energy requirements of working dogs. Appropriate energy supply adjusted to the requirements of military working dogs at pre-training is a basic prerequisite for working dogs, so they are fully able to exercise. Therefore, more knowledge obtained under standardized conditions would be advantageous. Twenty intact Belgian Shepherds var. Malinois at the age of 12 months were accompanied for four weeks during pre-training (odour detection, obedience training, and protection work) as military working dogs (MWDs) in Germany (ambient temperature about 7.8 °C), and the amount of energy intake was evaluated. To assess changes in body constitution, body weight and shoulder height were measured, and the thickness of subcutaneous fat tissue (SCF), and of Musculus sacrocaudalis dorsalis lateralis (MSCDL), were recorded via ultrasound. Energy intake amounted to, on average, 244 ± 34 kcal/kg body weight (BW)^0.75 daily. Increases in body weight, shoulder height, and thickness of the MSCDL, as well as a reduction of SCF thickness lying on the MSCDL, were observed. Changes of body constitution might be attributed to training-induced muscle growth and physiological growth in size. In addition to training intensity, influences of ambient temperature and physiological body growth seemed to be important contributing factors in the supply of energy for MWDs during pre-training.